Micromania has officially changed hands. The French retailer specializing in video games, consoles, and pop culture has been acquired by a Franco-Quebec consortium comprised of Stephan Tétrault, Jean-François Chenail, Sandra Callahan, and Stephen Callahan. This transaction marks Micromania's exit from the American group GameStop, which had controlled the company since 2008 and announced in February 2025 its intention to sell its French operations. The amount of the transaction has not been disclosed.
A consortium already present in the games and toys industry
Among the new owners are Stephan Tétrault and Jean-François Chenail, already shareholders of EB Games Canada. Stephan Tétrault participated in the acquisition of GameStop's Canadian operations, which were sold in 2025 before reverting to their original name. Sandra and Stephen Callahan are also involved in this acquisition. Their experience in the toy, plush, and licensed product sectors aligns with the stated goal of further developing the pop culture and collectibles offering. The consortium intends to leverage Micromania's existing teams and the brand recognition of a company established in France since 1983.
The Micromania name will be retained
The new owners do not plan to discontinue the brand. Stephan Tétrault states that he wants to "Preserve the Micromania brand and restore its full strength"The brand's identity must therefore be maintained, as well as its presence in France and its business of selling video games, consoles, accessories, and second-hand products. The new management also promises to preserve close customer relationships and the advisory role provided by in-store employees, according to the principle of "Passionate people serving passionate people".
Derivatives and cards will take up more space
The press release announcing the acquisition, however, gives significant prominence to merchandise, figurines, toys, and collectible card games. Micromania already sells numerous Pokémon, Disney Lorcana, One Piece, and Magic: The Gathering cards, as well as figurines, plush toys, clothing, and various items based on video game, manga, film, and television series licenses. This diversification began well before the acquisition. Micromania launched the Zing Pop Culture stores in 2015, before gradually merging the two brands under the Micromania-Zing name. The new owners' strategy is intended to reinforce this focus. The stores will no longer be solely dedicated to selling games and consoles, but will also include cards, toys, and collectibles.
Video games remain at the heart of the business.
Despite this diversification, Micromania is not turning its back on video games. The retailer will continue to sell the latest releases for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox, as well as consoles, accessories, and pre-owned games. Pre-order, trade-in, loyalty, and in-store pickup services will also be maintained. No interruption of business operations is expected following the change of ownership. The development of related merchandise is intended to complement Micromania's existing product range and allow stores to reach a wider audience than just physical game buyers.
Store relocations are planned
The press release also announces a "Optimization of the store network", accompanied by "targeted relocations"No list of affected stores has been published. The number of stores likely to relocate, change size, or be consolidated has not been specified. The term "relocation" indicates that some stores may leave their current locations to move to areas deemed more suitable for the new business strategy. These moves could, in particular, allow for the creation of larger sections dedicated to cards, figurines, and related merchandise. No new closure plans or specific job cuts have been announced as part of the acquisition.
A gradual transformation of the shops
The first changes should be visible in the store layout and the distribution of product categories. Consoles, new games, and used games will continue to hold a significant place, but they will be more closely associated with pop culture products. The new owners also want to develop activities around trading cards, including player exchanges, the launch of new expansions, and in-store events. After 18 years under GameStop's control, Micromania is thus opening a new chapter in its history. The brand will remain, but its business model will evolve, with a greater emphasis on cards, toys, figurines, and collectibles.
